There are more challenges than ever in today’s healthcare environment. Limited appointment time, the ability of patients to do their own research which then needs to be discussed with practitioners, and the numbers of patients who are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed; these challenges and others make effective communications between patients and their practitioners more important than ever.

Good communications really boils down to two things: respect for each other, and the ability to manage expectations.

The following will help you understand how to be a good communicator yourself, and what to expect from a practitioner who is a good communicator.

Is “patient-centered” design becoming a cliché? Some say yes, that the term covers everything these days from warmly hospitable to bare minimalist, depending on the tastes (and budgets) of the sponsors. When a leading faith-based healthcare system commits to defining “patient-centered,” though, it can take on new meaning.

As regular HEALTHCARE DESIGN readers know by now, interior designer Jain Malkin, CID,AAHID, EDAC, directs one of the most conceptual design firms in the business. Malkin and her San Diego-based team at Jain Malkin Inc. have become known for incorporating, and even creating, strikingly original features that enliven the patient/family experience. The 130,000-square-foot Schuster Heart Hospital, a multi-service facility that opened in September 2010, is one of the latest examples of this.

Atna Insurance is sending its network’s doctors alerts via mobile devices for patient care, as more medical professionals use smartphones and tablets in their daily practices.

Aetna sends free mobile medical alerts and offers e-prescribing services to its Florida network doctors to better help coordinate health care. The insurance carrier has not yet said if it will expand the service nationwide, but it may do so if the Florida doctors embrace the new alert system.

Aetna said the services allow doctors to instantly access medical literature, as well as clinical and patient information from Aetna’s claims department, even while the doctors are with their patients. This will allow them to identify safety issues, talk with patients about missed tests or checkups and discuss health management programs.